Ebola virus derived G-quadruplexes: Thiazole orange interaction

The Ebola and Marburg viruses are some of the deadliest viruses in the world. In this study a series of G-rich DNA sequences derived from these types of viruses which possess the potential to form G-quadruplex structures are analyzed. A set of DNA oligonucleotides derived from original viral isolates was used as a representative modeling sequence with which to demonstrate the influence of thiazole orange on circular dichroism (CD) spectral profiles. The results show the unique profile of the induced CD (LCD) signal in the visible region caused by interactions between the ligand and G-quadruplexes. This ligand was found to stabilize the G-quadruplex structure and can also induce topological changes and facilitate G-quadruplex multimerization. Thus, the ICD signatures can be used to determine whether specific unknown sequences can form G-quadruplex motifs. The viral sequences were analyzed using standard spectral and electrophoretic methods. In addition, the ability to target G-quadruplexes located in filoviruses offers researchers attractive therapeutic targets which would be of particular use in the development of novel antiviral therapies. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled G-quadruplex Guest Editor: Dr. Concetta Giancola and Dr. Daniela Montesarchio. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.